


Behind The Wheel

by The_Unqualified1



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Baby Driver AU, Crime Boss Edelgard, Driver Adjacent, Driver Byleth, Edeleth Big Bang Challenge, Everyone has a color nickname, F/F, Hope it’s not confusing to read, Music inspiration, Playlists Per Chapter :), The opposite of slowburn, This’ll be fun, actiony, fastburn, mostly thirst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:55:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27276862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Unqualified1/pseuds/The_Unqualified1
Summary: The heist was unlike anything they’d pulled off. A public target, a job within a job, and enough moving parts that they’d called in all 3 teams: The Eagles, The Lions, and The Deer. That wasn’t enough to shake the constant calm and in control Edelgard, AKA Crimson. But then there was the new getaway driver…She was brazen, unorthodox, and seemingly indifferent. Except when she looked at Edelgard in that certain way…As their bond grows they have to decide how close they can get to someone in this line of work.Meanwhile the job starts running into complications, including suspicions, setbacks, and potential sabotage!And maybe there’s some driving.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 13
Kudos: 36
Collections: Edeleth Big Bang 2020





	1. Red Light Optional

**Author's Note:**

> Ayyyyyy guys! We’re here! It’s honestly super exciting to have this project finally see the light of day. I hope you’re at least 27% as excited as we are, cause that’s still very high!
> 
> So for this story music is a big part of it. In both inspiration but also the action relating to the scenes.
> 
> If I learn fancy things like how to embed songs that will be updated in the future, for now... enjoy the playlists being linked up here per chapter :D
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4N025zNakKu9uJospBvvWK
> 
> This is a bit different than anything I can remember working on so far, including the tone the playfulness, and the action bits. I hope they’re all enjoyable, I hope you’re invested, and I hope you find some joy in this funky fresh story!

A pair of black boots stepped into the abandoned parking garage, leaving an echo off the concrete walls before coming to a stop. A slight breeze blew by, ruffling the red satin shirt and long silver hair of one Edelgard Von Hresvelg. She pulled her sunglasses off, her briefcase casually slung over her shoulder and scanned the area.

Years of faded graffiti stood out across the walls, a single car up on blocks with a shattered windshield, and dead leaves pilled about, moving little by little with each gust that blew.

A place where someone like her stuck out. She was dressed in her red dress shirt with white sparrow cut outs, black fitted slacks with a thin pinstripe, and her black boots with a wedged heel. (Yes, they helped her to be taken more seriously since she was rather vertically challenged.)

She noticed the three cameras around the perimeter. The one barred emergency exit with the letters peeling off. The lights that were flickering. Some missing bulbs. In a matter of seconds she ascertained every detail there was about the place.

Unsuspecting would be the word she’d use to describe it.

_Perfect for what they would use it for._

She walked further toward the center of the garage and around to the back where an old elevator door sat, leading up to the higher levels. She clicked the cracked plastic button on the wall and heard it ding. A faded red light glowing behind the casing. When the doors slid open with a creak the inside of the cart was a stark contrast to it’s shabby exterior. The walls lined in black, sleek, vinyl. The silver accents, polished and new. The soft elevator music playing out something with a modern jazzy piano, electric guitar, and languid vocals.

She stepped in, watching the doors close and tapped her foot to the beat as it rose to the higher levels.

_Appearances. All appearances._

When the doors clicked open again she emptied out into a wide warehouse style room. High ceilings, wires and cords taped to the floor. Bare walls, and bright fluorescent domes hanging above to give the room it’s adequate lighting. Her violet eyes blinked a few times to adjust to the new space as she heard voices speaking from down the hall to her left. She turned and followed.

The next room, no matter where they found themselves setting up base, always looked the same. Rows of bench style tables with mismatched chairs and a chalkboard at the front. Very reminiscent of an old school house.

Against the walls various crates were stacked with gear or junk she never knew, and the windows at the side reached high up into the ceiling letting in tons of natural light, with bars set in a pattern like grid over them.

At the front of the room were two figures she’d expected to see. Standing at the board with a piece of chalk twirling between her forefinger and thumb was Faith. An older, refined woman with long green hair, a white button up shirt, skinny black tie, and black pencil skirt hugging her curves. She was turned and speaking to the other half of her team, Reason, who sat perched above a stack of crates. She looked to be about 12, and sat with one leg dangling from her spot above. Her attire was similar, only opting for black baggy dress pants. Her hair a darker shade of green, and while the other looked to be refined she was rather unkempt. She tried to imagine the women’s relationship to each other, and often had, but never knew if they were mother and daughter, sisters, or something else all together.

She watched them from the doorway for a moment before clearing her throat and entering into sight.

“Ahh look who it is.” Faith greeted with a gentle expression. “Crimson, good to see you.”

“Early as usual?” Reason added, looking unimpressed with her hand propped under her chin.

“Just like to get a lay of the land.” Edelgard said, casually walking up to the second row of benches and setting down her black leather briefcase. She liked facing the door to keep track of everyone else coming in, and being up on the 10th floor meant very few could pose a threat from the window. She took the desk chair in the row and placed her sunglasses back on as she turned to face the door, awaiting the rest.

Reason looked at her with a rather bored expression before turning to the boombox at her side and raising the volume to drown out whatever her and Faith were talking about. The song she played had a ticking cowbell with some suggestive bass and drums, and Edelgard turned away to give them their privacy and watch the door.

She tapped her finger on her arm, as she watched the entryway. The second and minutes hand ticked away on the clock, and slowly all the other members of the group filtered in.

There were some familiar faces as their ranks were filled. She noted the other two directors that came in. Azure, his blonde bowl cut and fresh pressed vest. And, much later, Verdant with his dark gelled hair and baggy designer jacket. _He wasn’t one for punctuality._

As her team came in she exchanged pleasantries in their own way. Periwinkle, the more skittish of the group, hid behind her goggles and gave a quick nervous wave before disappearing in the back row behind her hoodie. As per routine.

Emerald on the other hand came into the room in all her gloriousness. Tight, floor-length dress with her holsters around her shoulders.

“Hello Crimson dear.” She beamed, her green eyes glowing behind her ruby tinted lenses as she crossed the room and took both of Edelgard’s hands in her own.

“Hello Emie.” She said affectionately. “Great to see you as always. How’s Fusha?” 

“She’s wonderful, thank you. She sends her apologies for missing the mission.”

“No worries. It was late notice, and she’d been planning that trip to Brigid for a while. I’m just sorry she’ll miss the score.”

“ _I’m_ sorry you had to find an alternate.” Emerald added with a joking smile.

“Come on, Cyan’s not that bad.”

The boy in question came barreling in moments later. A striped blue tee that looked like it was from the department store, and a white leather jacket that was one of a kind over top. He always wore an almost childish grin and radiated energy like he’d burst out of his skin if he wasn’t moving. Fidget cubes were made for people like him.

He flicked a wave to Periwinkle as he came in. She pulled her hoodie strings tighter and raised her hand for a lightning flash of a wave.

He came to take a seat by Emerald and Crimson, turning the chair and sitting on it backwards with his legs around the side and stomping his feet on the floor in excitement.

“Alrighttttt! New job, new game! This is gonna be a big one, huh guys?”

“Good to see you too Cyan.” Emerald added with a smile.

“I bet! It’s probably a _huge_ relief to have me as your runner.” He said, patting his thighs excitedly.

The two of them always had a sibling-like dynamic. Teasing but respectful.

“Alright it looks like…” Faith spoke up, loud enough to cut through the chatter as she counted heads with her chalk. ”We’re still waiting on one.”

“Present.” Came a voice from the back.

Edelgard turned partially over her shoulder to catch the arrival of a new figure, walking in holding a brown fast food bag in one hand and a soda in the other.

“Sorry I’m late, drive-thru was backed up.” She walked to the front of the stacked totes where Reason sat and reached up to hand her the soda. The green-haired girl eagerly accepted then fistbumped the new woman with a familiar sort of expression.

Edelgard looked her up and down. She wore a pair of dark circle sunglasses that reflected indigo, similar in color to her hair which hung around her shoulders in a choppy cut. Her undershirt was a charcoal compression material that went from under her chin, down her noticeably tone figure and tucked into the waist of her white jeans. It contrasted the bulky corduroy overcoat that sat along her frame with it’s silver buttons and tan-brown panels, adding to her effortless appearance. The most noticeable thing about her were the black headphones hanging around her neck, a cord going down to the pocket in her coat. She was certain she’d never seen her amongst their various jobs. _She’d have remembered someone like her…_

The mystery woman walked to the back row, placing the brown bag on the table before propping herself on the corner, one leg up on the desk, the other bouncing up and down casually. She reached into the bag and pulled out a small handful of french fries that she popped in her mouth, before pulling her headphones back over her ears, bobbing softly to the unheard beat.

“Now that we’re all here, we can get started.” Faith said with a smile.

Edelgard found herself annoyed at the woman’s lackadaisical nature, but couldn’t deny the unique aura that she carried. She watched as she played imaginary piano keys against her leg. In tune with whatever was playing between her ears. _She was confident_. Only time would tell if it was misplaced or not. She turned forward, thinking… that for a second, that mysterious woman might have been looking at her too.

“I thank you all for joining us.” Faith said again, addressing the rows of colorful characters. “For what is sure to be, one of the biggest heists we’ve ever attempted.” She smiled confidently, looking them all over.

“Big enough we pulled in 3 directors.” Reason added as she sipped the soda, a loud slurp of the straw.

“Yes, that’s very true. Because this heist will take a lot of precision, and a lot of working pieces. We don’t usually bring in such a big team, but we don’t usually take on such a big operation either.”

“So we figured since this is more of a heist inside a heist, we’d bring in the Eagles, Lions, and Deer.” Reason added. Taking another loud sip as the paper cup now appeared already empty. “Do you all already know each other, or…?”

“More or less, but it can only help to reaffirm everyone’s understanding.” Azure said with a smile, rising from his seat with a slight wave. “I’m Azure, for those of you that haven’t worked with me yet. I’ll be your… muscle? Shall we say. The Lions do the heavy lifting, so to my side you’ll see Copper-” A boy they often worked with who had a head of shaggy orange hair and a habit of flirting. “Who’s your demolition expert.”

“If it needs to be moved, just ask nicely.” He said leaning his head back over the seat with a suggestive grin.

“To my right is Blondie, our eye in the sky.”

“Sniper is the technical term.” The girl added. She was rather androgynous, strong shoulders, and wearing gear as if they would have to go at any moment, whereas most of the other members had opted for streetwear.

“And that leaves Steele,” A boy with sharp navy locks tied up into a pony-tail and a perpetual scowl. “He’s our shadow. Can get anywhere he needs and leaves no trail.”

He nodded once to agree and otherwise didn’t flinch. She could see how he could disappear.

“Well the Deer are… springier lets say?” Verdant said leaning back in his seat with his foot propped up on the table in front of him. “We work a lot behind the scenes. Royal here has the connections. Knows a guy who knows a guy who can get you anything anytime.” He nodded toward the man with long purple locks and a sharp face who sat before him.

“Marshmallow handles tech. She looks sweet but don’t call her it.” Edelgard noted how young the girl looked. Maybe the same age as Reason. Crime didn’t come for everyone at the same point in life.

“And-”

“And I’m Bubblegum.” Spoke the girl with sickeningly sweet pink pig tails as she popped a bubble. “And I work the crowds. Even though it’s _sooooooo_ much work.” She groaned.

Faith looked toward Edelgard last, she assumed wondering if she was also going to humor them with introductions.

She supposed she had to now.

“Crimson, as I’m sure you all know. We’re the Eagles. Periwinkle is our hacker. Emerald is our Doctor. Cyan is our man on the ground.” She said flatly, her hands propped up before her on the desk.

“Well that certainly helps.” Faith smiled. “And while you all came in with your specialties the scope of this job may require you stepping outside your comfort zones to wear multiple hats. To br-”

“Excuse me.” Verdant said, raising his hand as if it were indeed a classroom, but clearly something on his mind.

“Yes?” Faith asked, humoring him.

“Are you going to tell us who _that_ is?” He gestured over his shoulder toward the woman who had finished the last fry and was crumpling the bag up into a small clump that she tossed like a basketball into a nearby waste bin.

“Ahh, yes I suppose most of you wouldn’t have worked with her.” Faith said with a smile, her eyes glimmering.

“She’s the driver.” Reason said plainly, hand still propped under her chin.

“That’s right. Ashen is her name. And she’s worked with us one more jobs than I can count.”

“Why haven’t any of us worked with her?” Edelgard asked, curiosity setting off alarms.

“Preservation.” Faith said simply, and Edeglard felt a protectiveness in her words. Whomever this was, she was important to the organizers. That made her interesting, and interesting... was usually bad when it came to jobs like this.

“As I was saying, we’ll break out into smaller teams to discuss the more detailed parts related to your teams. Starting with the directors in 60. Take this time to settle in.” Faith said with a smile.

“Dismissed.” Reason added with a yawn, and hopped down to the floor below.

The group shuffled back out with low conversations and chatting. Emerald gave Edelgard a squeeze on the shoulder and a smile before heading out. She saw the other directors staying behind and… the woman in the back.

“Yo, wheels?” Verdant whistled and waved his hand over his head. The driver turned slightly in his direction. Hands in her coat pockets, headphones still on. “You get all that?”

She gave a thumbs up with no expression and he laughed in turn.

“You sure? Beats not too loud?” Verdant rose from his chair and started walking toward the driver, arms behind his head. Fishing for something, though she’s not even sure he knew what.

He strolled right up, leaning against the table in front of her with his arms crossed.

“Are they fresh? Are they funky fresh?” He asked, still wearing his fake smile. His typical shade of empty hunter.

“The freshest.” The driver responded flatly. _She could hold her ground._

Azure rose next.

“Come now Verdant, you’re bothering our new driver before we even take off her training wheels.”

She looked between the two of them briefly, noticing their tone of smugness.

“Is this your way of questioning my credentials?” Ashen asked.

“Can you blame us?” Edelgard called out, still sitting. The driver turned fully her way, and the ghost of a smirk graced her lips as she seemed to assess her from behind those navy lenses.

“We know almost nothing about you, and yet we’re supposed to put our lives in your hands?”

“Luckily, I’m pretty good with my hands.” She returned.

Edelgard had to refrain from rolling her eyes, and Verdant hid a snicker in the back of his hand.

“I’m sure you are, but you know I was a wheelman back in the day... So I have standards.” Verdant said as he gathered himself.

“I don’t see how that’s my problem.” The driver shrugged.

“Damn not trying for those five stars, are we?” Verdant laughed, now sitting on the row of desks facing the driver.

“Not trying to be rude, just not inclined to care about your standards.” She said back, with a casual tilt of the head. Still wearing her damn headphones.

“What _are_ you inclined to care about?” Azure called as he came closer, leaning on the same table Verdant sat on.

“My job. I’ll get you where you need to go.” She said. “No doubt about it.”

“And yet here we are… doubting.” Verdant said, in a playfully pouting voice.

Edelgard knew where this was going, and was honestly getting annoyed at the continuous verbal sidestepping going on.

“Care to demonstrate?” She asked, rising to her feet, noting the tilt of the head she earned for her question. “These two have a way of pestering until they get what they want.”

Ashen cracked a smile at that, as if they were playing on the same team.

“Street race?” Driver asked with an entertained smile. “Is that where this is headed?”

“Wow Crimson, what a good idea.” Verdant said in a joking way. “What do you say? The lady wants a closer look.”

Ashen pushed up to her feet, pulling the headphones down around her neck. An airy muffled version of the song started playing from around her headset. Something by Beck she thought, with a quirky beat and electric strat.

“She can look as close as she likes.”

They walked the surprisingly long hall to the elevator that lead a few floors down to their primary garage. Driver whistling along to whatever alternative rock song was playing on her walkman. Outside the elevator was a series of parked cars, a workbench with wheels, spare tires and gear stacked about. On the other side was a more open parking garage style with high ceilings, entry and exit ramps, and lines painted in for parking spots, at the time of which they were only using 3. Unsuspecting sedans in different shades and models.

On the wall was mounted a small key hook with the three sets.

“Take your pick.” The driver said to the others, still with her headphones on and lightly tapping against her pocket.

They grabbed the Honda and the Dodge, leaving the Chevy behind. Ashen smiled as she plucked the remaining keys.

“We’re using these in the morning. Don’t damage them trying to show off.” She added, heading to her car. Edeglard stayed with her arms crossed near the elevator, watching the other three take their spots.

She noticed the driver stripping off her tan overcoat and sliding it into the backseat, revealing her surprisingly muscular arms, then leaning back over the roof of the car.

“You coming?” She asked in Edelgard’s direction.

“She’s not the thrill seeking type.” Azure offered with a chuckle.

“Maybe not, but if she wanted a closer look, this is as close as it gets.” Ashen said sliding into the driver's seat and closing her door. She leaned forward against the steering once she was in and glanced over at Edelgard as if awaiting a response.

She thought about the easy no, a shake of the head or to just simply stay where she was standing. But… she supposed she could let herself examine closer. And… she hated the challenge in Azure’s voice. Couldn't stand the idea of the blonde thinking he'd been right.

Instead she started walking toward the car. The driver flashed an appreciative look and leaned across to push open the passenger door.

“Welcome aboard.” She said as Edelgard slid in, buckling her seatbelt. 

“Alright ladies!” Verdant yelled from his car. “First one around the block and back?”

Azure hung a thumbs up out his window.

Ashen nodded before taking the CD out of her walkman. Edelgard noted the black permanent marker scribbled across the top that read RED LIGHT OPTIONAL. She slid it into the car’s sound system, hitting skip a few times and cranking the nob when she found something satisfactory.

Lyrics started, something spoken and serious, and the driver smirked as she gripped the steering wheel.

_“Reluctantly crouched at the starting line-”_

The driver revved her engine as the baseline kicked in.

_“Engines pumping and thumping in time.The green light flashes, the flags go up-”_

She shifted the car into drive.

_“Churning and burning, they yearn for the cup-”_

The full ensemble kicked in the background and the other two cars sped off.

But…

The driver… didn’t.

_“They deftly maneuver and muscle for rank. Fuel burning fast on an empty tank-”_

The driver sat there. Hand still on the clutch, engine still turning. And Azure and Verdant disappeared out the garage.

_“Reckless and wild, they pour through the turns. Their prowess is potent and secretly stern-”_

Edelgard peereded at her from the corner of her shades, confused. Was she so cocky as to give this much of a lead?

_“As they speed through the finish, the flags go down. The fans get up and they get out of town-”_

Still nothing. A content look on the driver’s face as she sat idle.

_“The arena is empty except for one man. Still driving and striving as fast as he can-”_

Now Edelgard found herself becoming impatient. Was this Driver truly all talk? The song continued, a trumpet adding long drawls of sound.

_“The sun has gone down and the moon has come up. And long ago somebody left with the cup-”_

“Well?” Edelgard asked, unable to hide her annoyance.

_“But he's driving and striving and hugging the turns-”_

The driver held up a finger to pause her.

_“And thinking of someone for whom he still burns-”_

To Edelgard’s surprise she pretended to play a set of drums, matching the alternating hits before the chorus kicked in.

“You’re insane aren’t you?” Edelgard concluded, and the frustrating woman smiled, lowering the volume and reclining against the side of the door to face her better.

“Well… everyone in this line of work has to be a little crazy.” She said, pulling her sunglasses down and showing her a set of surprisingly crisp blue eyes. “Wouldn’t you say?”

Edelgard blinked a few times, caught by surprise at her demeanor (and admittedly her striking gaze and features) then settled on crossing her arms and looking unimpressed.

“Is this your big plan? Have them drive around in circles?” Edelgard asked, trying to discern if there was a method to the obvious madness.

“Not much of a plan person. Let’s call it… part of my skill set.” She said with a content expression.

“What skill is that?”

“Reading the room.” And she smiled again as she replaced her glasses, putting her hand on the wheel and shifting into gear so fast it whipped Edelgard back against her head rest.

She cranked the volume again as it hit the second chorus.

_“Cause he's going the distance-”_

“Finding the best tool for the job.” She continued.

_“He's going for speed-”_

She whipped a wide circle around the garage, coming to stop at the back entrance.

_“She's all alone, all alone-”_

She shifted into Park.

_“All alone in her time of need-”_

“And working smarter not harder.” She said with a sly grin.

_“Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course-”_

She slammed one foot on the gas, though the car didn’t move, revving the engine loudly in the concrete complex.

_“He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse-”_

She saw smoke peeling out from the tires in the side view mirror, the sound screeching off them as they ran in place.

_“He's racing and pacing and plotting the course-”_

The smell of gasoline and burned rubber filled the space.

_“He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse-”_

The driver shifted back to Drive, and sped up to the row of parking spots. Edelgard braced against the door.

_“He's going the distance-”_

She broke gently, stopping diagonal between two lines, further from where she’d originally started.

_“He's going for speed-”_

She shifted back to park as an electronic keyboard kicked into the background of the song, carrying the finale of the tune.

_“He's going the distance-”_

She turned the key, killing the engine and the song. In the newfound silence the driver hopped out of the car, closing the door behind her with a thud and leaving Edelgard in her stupor. She walked around to the back of the car and leaned against the trunk.

Edelgard rolled down her window and leaned out, looking back at her companion.

“That’s it?” Edelgard asked, slightly incredulous.

“That’s it.” Ashen answered, casually taking up a position leaning against the trunk.

“So you’re simply about appearances.” She said dismissively. “Not actual work.”

Ashen turned over her shoulder back to look at her properly, still wearing that assured half smirk.

“I’m about the getaway... not the glory. The game’s not about winning… just about getting where you need to go.”

As irked as she wanted to be at the cavalier woman… she merely found herself intrigued. She spotted the black tire marks she’d created coming from the back entrance. The smell of metal and fire in the space...

“Smoke and mirrors.” Edelgard said, realizing she’d set the stage as if she’d come racing back in from the streets. “That’s what your read of the room told you?” Amusement was starting to replace her annoyance. This was such a preposterous idea.

She shrugged.

“They’re the ones who wanted to race, because of their concerns. Not mine. We’re starting tomorrow, we need all these cars running. No point in risking a damaged bumper or headlight or anything easily identifiable. And this… should be enough to satisfy them.”

“And me?”

“Are you unsatisfied?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Edelgard opened her mouth for a rebuttal but closed it, realizing the suggestiveness of the comment.

“That’s not-” She shook her head. “I meant… why show me. Why let me see your bag of tricks?”

The driver looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, her smirk turning to something softer.

“Different people appreciate different things. They wanted to know if I was competent behind the wheel. You wanted to know if I was capable of handling myself. Think I’ve proven both.”

Edelgard found a certain… honesty in that answer she could respect. And what had started as frustration was quickly becoming fascination. Though she still wasn’t convinced it was going to work.

She heard tires peeling into the building and saw the two other cars come barreling in. Verdant’s car ahead of Azure’s.

As they pulled in she made out the expression change behind the windshield of Verdant’s face, falling from confident to confounded as he looked between the two of them. As their cars came to a stop Ashen checked her watch before looking back at them. Really hamming it up.

“Holy shit, I didn’t see you at all.” Verdant said with a surprise he didn’t often wear.

“Knew a faster way.” She said in return.

Azure pulled up, hopping out of his car. Edelgard caught him glancing at the tracks and at her with an equal look of surprise.

“Very peculiar. You just snuck around us like that?”

She nodded once.

“Bullshit.” Verdant laughed.

“The winner of a race is the person who finds the shortest route. I did.” She shrugged.

“How?”

“Come now, you must know the expression a magician never reveals her secrets.” She said keeping her arms crossed. The reaction she was gaining from them told Crimson _plenty_ of who she was dealing with. She hoped she was as good a driver as she was a showman.

“Crimson, how was the ride along?” Verdant asked curiously. Digging for a fault in the seam being presented.

She had the chance to crack open the story, Easily. Or provide a solid alibi. A moment to decide if she was going to side with or against this crazy way of thinking.

“Exhilarating.” She said, earning a slight grin from Ashen she could just make out from her angle. That was as close to an endorsement she’d give.

The two boys looked a moment longer with crooked expressions like they were unconvinced but unarmed to argue.

“Well alright then, Driver…” Verdant said with a half grin. “Color me impressed.”

Edelgard found her matching strides with the perplexing woman, now with her coat and headphones back on as they walked through the long hall back from the garage.

“So, you think they bought it?” Edelgard asked, still trying to glean what details she could.

Ashen shrugged.

“Maybe. Maybe it’ll sit in the back of their minds and they’ll wonder if it was something more… but we got away with it.”

“And it’s about the getaway.” Edelgard said, returning her words from before.

“Now you’re getting it.” The driver smirked.

“Well we can only hope your driving is as smooth as your talking.” Edelgard said finally.

“That won't be a problem. I can be very smooth. On… and off the roads.” She opened the door at the end of the hall and held it open for Edelgard who paused. She tilted her head slightly her way.

“I don’t normally like to show my back to people.” She said, not moving closer.

“That’s a shame,” Ashen said after a pause. “From what I’ve seen it’s a damn nice one.”

Edelgard rolled her eyes.

“Are you always this unscrupulous with your team?” She countered, admittedly not… hating the repertoire they were building with each other.

“No… can’t say that I am. Guess you encourage that side of me.” They paused for a moment… the air feeling slightly charged…

Ashen was the first to break it.

“Enjoy your meeting, Miss Director.” She smiled her way before finally turning through the door and carrying down the hall, humming along to whatever song was playing on her walkman.

“ _Hey stranger, I’m telling ya, let’s keep it unfamiliar._ ”

That night Edelgard found herself laying flat on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The way she often was before a mission. Restless.

Hideouts were called safehouses, but she rarely felt… safe here. Though she couldn’t recount a time since her childhood where she’d felt truly _safe_. This was hardly any different.

She rose in her sleeping clothes, giving up on watching the fan blades rotate any longer, and throwing her red leather jacket on over her exposed shoulders. She decided her shorts were enough. No one would still be up at this hour.

She went up the stairwell and poked her head in each of the upper floors. Most of them were empty, not even walls. Some exposed electrical wiring. Crates of things. Office supplies and fallen ceiling tiles scattered.

She worked back down to the dorms. This floor had evidently been more developed, rows of what were once offices with minimal furniture shoved in to accommodate them. 

She roamed to one end of the hall noting the windows. All intact on every floor. Bars had been on some of the higher up ones, which made her feel more and less comfortable at the same time. Keeping things out… but also… in.

As she walked she thought she heard the light echo of… music? Was that what she was hearing? The washed away sense of trumpets and tambourines. Something jazzy… She turned arbitrarily down the hall toward it, and caught the side of a small circle table with her hip. The empty vase on it shook and tipped before heading for the ground.

On reflex Edelgard leaned forward, her arm shooting out to catch it, her other going out to catch herself. As she interrupted it’s path she also knicked the table, causing it to tumble as well. She spun her weight quickly and pushed the sole of her free leg into its side to pin it against the wall, keeping it from clamoring on top of her and making a racket. She felt rather foolish propped up the way she was, as if playing a game of Twister. Thankfully no one was here to see her in such a preposterous position.

Then she heard the door to her side creak open, the music she’d been hearing faintly suddenly pouring out into the hall. When she turned her attention she saw _of course..._

The driver, leaning against the side of her door frame.

Layered grey and white tank tops and navy sweatpants. Casual clothes. And... faded, deep scars over one side of her exposed shoulders that Edelgard couldn’t help but stare at. Her expression was that same unending calm as before, and those eyes.... the ones that Edelgard couldn’t seem to get out of her head… were suddenly boring down on her.

“You need any help?” Ashen asked, for what Edelgard realized was the second time. She shook her head, pushing back to a standing position and quickly putting the table back in order.

“No, sorry to wake you.” She said dismissively, slightly embarrassed to have been caught by her of all people.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t.” The driver yawned back at her.

“No?” She found that hard to believe. She looked half asleep standing there now.

“Yeah, I wish. I can never sleep before a job. Too much energy.” And she saw it not in her eyes, but in her muscles. The way they were tensed and taut. As calm as her expression was, her body looked like it was ready to spring… ready for action.

“Too much adrenaline.” She said, holding Edelgard’s eye. That made something in her very... warm. 

A look passed between the two… a rather cheeky look, that sent her mind spinning at the implication.

 _Well this was stupid._ She thought quickly. She didn’t engage with team members like this. Especially not before a job.

 _But…_

Most of the people she worked with weren’t so attractive, and aloof.

“You too?” The driver asked casually enough as she leaned her hands against the top of her door frame. It made her arms flex in a very… agreeable way. She saw that glint in her eye.

She wasn’t making idle conversation. She was searching for something... it almost felt like an invitation… a challenge.

And if one thing was true about Edelgard von Hresvelg... it was that she _never_ backed down from a challenge.

“I suppose you could say that.” She answered back. “I don’t sleep much in new places. Like to get a layout. Know all the escapes, all the vantage points.” She was sauntering closer to the mysterious woman and those midnight blue eyes seemed to glow brighter as she did.

“To have all the information. Cover all my bases.” She continued.

“To try and know what will happen?”

“Precisely.”

The driver shifted and reached out a hand to her.

“I can tell you what’ll happen."

_When did they get within an arm’s reach of each other?_

Edelgard was ready to dismiss it, but those cool eyes were so intoxicating. Her voice... so serene. Almost commanding, but in a way that wouldn’t force her hand… only offer her own.

And for some reason… she took it. Surprisingly soft skin met hers, and rested her hand, palm up, slowly tracing lines with her thumb. She took a step forward, a look in her eye asking for permission to continue. Edelgard nodded, and she reached with her other hand, placing it at her wrist. A surprisingly gentle action.

“Have you ever had your palms read?” The driver asked, so calmly it caused Edelgard to snicker. _Was she serious?_

“You mean have I ever paid someone to look at the lines on my hands and make a pretend picture out of them?”

The driver chuckled at that, still tracing her patterns with focus.

“Something like that. But don’t worry, I’ll do this one for free.” She added the last bit flicking her eyes up to meet hers, and that blue seemed to change with their sudden proximity. The jazzy beat in the back smoothed to something with more percussion that she could feel vibrating in her chest.

“Lucky me.” Edelgard breathed back.

The driver moved her hand slowly over hers, methodically studying each of her fingers with her own.

“Hmmm… You have fire hands.” She spoke as she pressed a thumb against her skin. “Fire hands have long palms, shorter fingers, distinctive creases.”

She continued her gentle study across the planes of her hand. Edelgard found herself enraptured by the touch, trembling slightly… not quite ready for it to end.

“Those with fire hands are often considered persuasive, confident…” She looked up and watched those blue blue eyes morph before her. “And _passionate_.” She said, her voice becoming silky.

Edelgard dug for a snippy response. Any response really, but found not a one. She just stared back, enjoying the foreign yet familiar feel of her hands caressing her own.

“Your head line…” She traced a groove from below her index finger to the center of her palm. “Tells me you’re well-educated, but not afraid to think outside the box. Your heart line indicates you care deeply for those you are close to, but don’t let many close, and your fate line…” she traced another divot above the center or her palm, crinkling her brow slightly. “Tells me you have struggled through many things outside of your control… but this sun line shows… they don't define you.”

A pause fell between them in the wake of her assessment and the song changed behind her to something with electric bass and snaps. The driver ran the edge of her nail in a circle around the inside of her palm, pulling another tremor from Edelgard.

“My hands told you all that?” She said back, slightly challenging. 

“I could’ve told you most of it without seeing your hands, but it seemed a good excuse…” She smirked ever so soft again, and leaned down to plant her lips to her palm. She exhaled when she did and the warm air sent cool goosebumps down to her elbow in the wake of the chaste kiss.

“Excuse?” Edelgard said, barely managing the word in the wake of her action.

“To see what else I could learn.” Driver said with those blues turning into a typhoon that threatened to sweep her away. “And so far... I like what I see.”

The words launched something in her, and Edeglard let them carry her forward, grabbing onto an anchor to fight the wave of heat pooling in her. In this case, the front of Ashen’s shirt. She let her momentum and inhibitions direct her, and pulled the unruly woman into a commanding kiss.

The reciprocation was immediate. Ashen let out an appreciative sigh, her hands sliding around to find their hold on her hips, pulling them closer yet. Unrelenting.

 _Good._ Edeglard thought, unwilling to back down herself. She pushed the driver up against the door frame, parting their lips long enough to catch a glimpse of those blue blue eyes that looked like ripples breaking across a calm lake.

The hand on her hip slowly wrapped around her waist, holding her with want but not force.

“Is that all?” She asked, teasingly.

“You’re not getting off that easy.” Edelgard murmured back.

She thought she recognized the lyrics to the song playing as they seemed to spur on the moment. Perhaps her restlessness could be used for something else.

“Sounds like a challenge.”

“Think you can handle it?” She countered, feeling her confidence in where the night was heading. 

“I can handle anything.” She leaned closer, sighing a warm breath on the side of her neck that she felt trickle goosebumps down to her shoulders. “You’ll see."

“Prove it...” Edelgard’s voice was becoming husky as a tingling sensation grew at the base of her spine, spreading with every second she stared into that blue abyss.

She was met with compliance rather than resistance, as the driver let her push her back through the door, closing it quickly behind them, then returning their lips to each other with unabashed desire. This kiss was more combative. More assertive, yet also more revealing. Her energy gave away her enjoyment and attraction, and the act pulled a sigh from Edelgard she’d tried to fight.

A hand slid up into the back of her hair, gently curling fingers into her typically perfect locks and holding her just so as the driver directed their lips against each other. Kissing her here and there, pressing closer, running a thumb across her cheek. And she matched her every step, like a dance… where both partners were fighting to lead. The music moved them as if on cue, a rhythm set by the guitars and vocals. A game. A challenge. A race…

All too soon and all too slow they found their way to the bed. And for once in the safe house... she wasn’t thinking about how many exits there were, how many windows, escape plans or strategies. She was thinking about the song, and about the midnight blue above her…. And how she would look below her.


	2. Mood Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mission begins. A slow start after a fiery beginning and how close to you get to someone in this field?  
> Let’s see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2w5lTWREvpUV5JYs9aBKWQ  
> Here’s your new playlist!
> 
> We back!

Ashen was out in the garage when Edelgard came to find her. Blasting some upbeat pop song out the side of the car she was working on and singing along. Humming in between the words.

_ “Once you get to know me, hmmm, hm, hm, I could make you unloney.” _

Her maroon skinny jeans hugged her legs like the curves of a road, while her sleeveless shirt hung loose in contrast. Wide cuts from shoulder to hip left little to the imagination. Every line of muscle accentuated and on display with a few oil stains on the white material, and just the top line of her boxers peeking above her waist as she disappeared under the hood of the royal blue car.

“Hey, Driver.” She called out, trying not to let the images of the previous night creep back in. They had a job to do after all.

That resolve nearly crumbled when she caught full sight of the indigo locks she’d run her hands through tied up in a ponytail, a few grease stains on her neck and cheek, and that same disarming smile… that she was growing to both love and hate for the effect it had on her.

“Hey there Red.”

Edelgard descended the few stairs onto the concrete while Ashen pulled out a rag and wiped her hands off, leaving streaks of black.

“Need something?” She asked as Edelgard came closer.  _ Right, why had she come down here? _

“We’re briefing in 15, leaving in 60. Wanted to make sure you’d be ready on time.”

“Why, did I keep you waiting too long last night?” She quipped back, a sly grin on her face. Edelgard frowned in response.

“And to see if you planned on talking like that around the others I suppose.” She added, slightly exasperated. But the grin softened and the driver laid the rag down before closing the hood with a ringing thud that echoed in the small space.

“Not a chance Red, only to you.” She added, with a more serious etiquette to her words.

“Is this what we’ll be taking today?” Edelgard nodded to the car.

“ _ Her? _ Definitely not.” Driver said, giving a fond pat to the hood. “She’s not meant for grunt work. She’s more of a special occasion car.”

“She?” Edelgard asked with a raised eyebrow

“Celeste.” Ashen said beaming with pride.

Edelgard came closer and leaned in the window to look at the plush white interior, lined with midnight blue vinyl to match the outside paint. The exterior was polished to a shine and a thin white accent line ran from the hood to where it tapered over the back of the rim.

“She’s a 71 Chevy Nova.” Ashen added.

“71? She’s a relic.” Edelgard said with a slight tease. The Driver smiled back with mock offense.

“She’s a  _ legend. _ And cars only get old if you don’t take care of them. She’s been loved plenty, here look.” Ashen gently placed a hand on the back of Edelgard’s shoulder and pointed out the custom wheels she’d put on, explaining something about the engine’s cylinders and the transmission she’d rebuilt. The car talk didn’t mean much to her, but… her hand felt warm.

There was a sharp whistle from the door and Reason was there, leaning half way in the room.

“Hey, don’t be late to the meeting again.” She yelled over the radio.

“Alright alright, I won't.” Ashen yelled back, straightening up and turning with a relaxed posture to face her.  _ Familiar. Definitely something familiar between the two. _

“You say that now, but I know how you get with your cars.”

“That’s awfully presumptuous.”

“Big words don't impress me. Being in your chair might.”

Ashen chuckled, hands on her hips.

“Alright alright, I’ll be there.”

“Celeste, I’m counting on you to get her dumbass to the meeting.” Reason called out again as she turned to leave. “And tell her to change, she looks like she’s homeless.” Her voice echoed back as the door closed behind her.

Ashen shook her head in that same familiar way.

“Kid talks like she’s in menopause. Always in such a hurry to grow up.” She walked around to lean in the driver side window turning the key and killing the sound from the radio.

Edelgard was tempted to ask about her relation to Faith and Reason, but she got the feeling she’d have to be far more thoughtful to get her to reveal anything. She’d wait.

“Welp, shall we?” Ashen said, spinning the keyring around her finger. There was a single keychain of a… tiny blue car that looked an awful lot like the automobile in front of her.

“Oh, and do you need your jacket back?” The driver added, with a sly look. “It’s uh, still in my room.”

Edelgard blushed slightly but tried to hide it with an eye roll.

“You’re welcome to come back and get it yourself.” She added.

“Wouldn’t count on it.” She said dismissively. Last night was a one time thing. She was sure of it. Driver didn’t look hurt, she just nodded with that same unreadable little smile.

“I’ll leave it on your seat then.”

As the meeting came to a start Crimson filed in and saw the red leather jacket indeed draped over the back of the chair she’d sat in the day prior. She looked back at the driver who was sitting on the edge of the table again. A black polo with two thin blue-gray stripes running up the front. Dark glasses, blue beanie, and grey denim jeans. And those black wired headphones around her neck. The walkman itself clipped to her belt loop.

She wondered what she was listening to this time.

“Good morning all.” Faith greeted, as she and Reason took their spots at the front of the room. She held the chalk with the general map drawn precisely across the board, while the shorter of the members held what looked like a worn out board game box.

The chatter amongst the groups died down.

“Alright, the fun and games are over. This is the real deal.” Reason said as she set down the board game.

“Then... what’s that?” Verdant said with a half-grin. Reason was not amused, giving him a deadpan stare.

“A demonstration.” She said dryly, with a slight frown, dumping the contents out on the table. She arranged the board of what looked like...  _ Sorry _ pieces. With the four safety zones and the groups of each color. Red, blue, yellow, and green pieces.

“It’s really quite simple.” She said, an almost bored look on her face. “You all go to the location. In your groups.” She started moving pieces around the board as she talked. “You do your recon, get familiar with the area. Don’t draw attention to yourself, unless that was the task we discussed in your break out meetings.”

Edelgard never liked this about how they handled the missions. They’d only tell you your part in the plan. She preferred to know what everyone was expected to do, so she could properly react. But it was a way to preserve the mission when things went bad… so she could understand the benefit.

“When you’ve completed the routes given, you’ll go to your exit point, and our Driver here-” At this point Sothis moved one of the green pieces across the board, scooching the others in front of her back to the  _ safe zone _ . “Will do just that. Take you to your rendezvous cars, you all disappear, Ashen deposits the car she picks you up in for new paint and plates.” 

“Simple.” She said, finishing with her hands on her hips.

“Directors, you may confer with your teams and each of you will meet with the driver at the Lucky Lizard tonight to discuss what you learn.” Faith added, pointing sternly with a slight warning on the edge of her words. “The driver is the  _ only _ one that should know everything you know.”

She didn’t know if she agreed with that sentiment. But it was the job. She’d do her part. Manage her team. Keep their asses safe, and… meet with the driver on professional terms only.

“Dismissed.” Reason said. A rumble of chairs scooting backwards, and everyone rose. Edelgard stood and lifted the jacket, draping it over her shoulders.

She shot a quick look at the driver who was bobbing to a different beat, no doubt whatever song had started next on her playlist.

“Hey, you seeing what I’m seeing?” Emerald said suggestively, resting her chin on Edeglard’s shoulder.

“Hmm?” She responded, noncommittally.

“Think our driver got herself a hickey.” She said, slyly rolling the words off her tongue. “Good on her.”

Edelgard managed to not flinch by some miracle in her bodies years of reflex training, and instead very focusedly appeared to not focus on Ashen’s neck to see-

“Think you’ll want to get your eyes checked doctor. That’s a grease stain.” She responded, as neutrally as she possibly could. “She was working on the cars when I found her earlier. Guess she got a souvenir.”

“Hmm.” Emerald hummed back, slightly bored. “So it is. Pity, cause all of  _ that _ … looks like a good time.”

Edelgard had to keep from biting her lip. Admittedly… it was.

As they filed out she stopped in front of the driver, who pushed her hands off the table corner to stand in front of her and pulled the headphones off a single ear.

“What time is the exchange?” She asked, letting the rest of her team carry out the hall without her.

“21:00” She said calmly, still watching her with those ever perceptive eyes.

“You have a mark… on your neck.” She said quietly, gazing at the far wall.

Driver reached up to brush at it, and when she saw the grease she smirked. A single laugh breaking through.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t bite me that hard.”

Edelgard dramatically rolled her eyes to hide the blush she was feeling emerge and turned to leave.

“Hey good luck today.” Driver added, hands sliding in her pant pockets as she reclined.

“It doesn’t take luck, it takes practice.” She said rather dismissively.

Driver shrugged.

“Little luck can’t hurt.”

Getting to the job was a journey all in itself. Each group had to stagnate arrival times and vary their transportation. The Deer ended up having to take the bus, which she found incredibly entertaining.

The Lion’s team was being dropped off by the driver herself, leaving Edeglard to sit with her Eagles in an unsuspecting silver sedan. Periwinkle clicked away at something on a laptop. Cyan was laying across the back seat patting his thighs. Emerald leaned against the outside of the car. And Edelgard sat behind the wheel waiting for the timing to be right. They were scheduled to leave at exactly 11:16 am. Each of them taking these few minutes to get in their headspace.

The radio played softly over the silence (save for the patting and clicking) and she found the kicking bass rather… suggestive.

_ “Do I wanna know… if this feeling flows both ways?” _

She shook her head checking the time, and turning the knob so it was a mere muffle.

11:14 on the clock. She tapped her finger on the window without looking up to signal Emerald.

This first job wasn’t all too intensive. They each had their assignments. They each had something simple they were in charge of, and it made a recon mission like this a walk in the park. 

Of her team Peri would find the main power-breaker, Cy was in charge of counting the exit doors, Emie the windows, and she the number and placement of fire alarms.

She wondered what the other groups would find as she turned the key.

They drove slowly through the city traffic before coming to the archways and architectural entrance of the Fódlan National Museum of History.

Carved limestone and brickwork were laid in an arch to greet the guests willing to pay admission. The traffic cops waved them to the drop off zone and parking areas for a modest $4.99.

Targeting a museum was not a simple task, but morally Edeglard found it one of the easiest. It was a building full of stolen artifacts from cultures and people of the past that could no longer take them back. Stealing from stealers didn’t bother her in the slightest.

They took their spot between a van with a family of 6 pouring out the sliding doors and a young couple in a beat up truck that was far too comfortable with PDA. Crossing over the recently repaved parking lot she fell in step behind Emie and Cy as they chattered back and forth, providing significant cover to not look like a group that was about to case the joint. Peri hung near the back, holding her hands nervously at her front. She was tempted to reassure her, but knew Peri worked best when left to her own devices and  _ with _ her own devices. In the field wasn’t her strong suit, but Edelgard knew she could be trusted. She’d most likely disappear into the crowd and reappear with her mission complete.

She slipped her hand in her jacket pocket and paused for a second, surprised to feel something in there.

A CD…?

She had to bite a smile back.

_ You have to be joking. _ She thought as they entered into the extravagant atrium and walked up to the counter clerk behind a thick inch of glass to purchase their tickets.

As they paused in line she glanced down and pulled the edge of the CD out to see scribbled across the top in bold marker LUCK BE A LADY.

The clerk called her forward and she slid the disc away, paying her admission and the extra $19 for the audio tour. Honestly the amount of money she was paying to stake out the target was irksome. She’d rather just get a van, binoculars, and steal some blueprints, but there was some credit to being in a place and building familiarity before trying to rob it.

She slid on her headphones and took the cd-player to clip onto her belt as she walked off past the hefty security guard at the door and toward the first of the exhibits. A room full of ancient sculptures and a school field trip. A foolish idea came to mind.

Her gut pulled her back toward the CD in her pocket… and in a slight impulse that surprised even her… she opened the lid to the tour, and replaced the disc.

She listened to the plastic spin under the device as it whirled to life and prepared herself for… she didn’t know what… but she could almost imagine that half smile and blue gaze falling on her. And that made her… excited?

A jazzy, seductive kick hit strong with an almost spy soundtrack essence to it. A powerful blast of horns and percussion with a steel drum off beat, that lowered to a softer bass after the lyrics kicked.

_ “All the stars may shine upright~” _

The singer's voice was soothing with a quirk to it.

_ “All the clouds may be bright” _

That same bass and off beat hit, the horns kicked back in sultrily with the lyrics. And she could almost picture that same indigo head with crystal blue eyes following around the location.

_ “But when you smile~” _

She found herself gently swaying to the beat as she stood with her hands behind her back, examining something from Mesopotamian architecture.

_ “Oh how I feel so good” _

Driver would certainly rock back and forth on her heels.

_ “That I can hardly wait to hold you” _

She was warm when she’d wrapped around her...

_ “Enfold you” _

She gulped...

_ “Never enough” _

The singer's voice was speeding up, growing in perfect tension.

_ “Render your heart to meeeeee~” _

She stretched the last note with the grace of an operatic singer.

_ “All miiiinnnnneeeeeee” _

As she stretched the last note the music kicked back at full force, the horns blaring and she could just picture the driver… sulking along the statues of the room, serenading the seated women, spinning past the armored knight, curtsying to the Emperor carved at the head of the room.

She pulled the headphones off and blinked behind her shades. She popped the lid and extracted the disc.

She was NOT getting attached…

With a quick swap of the disc the sounds of an older Italian woman droning on about techniques and tools used to create marble covered up the goosebumps that had risen on her arms.

_ No strings. Strings can be cut. _

She walked through the room with her arms behind her back and banished all thoughts of the disc from her mind.

She had a job to do.

Time to count fire alarms.

_ 1… 2… 3…  _

Edelgard pulled up to the front of the Lucky Lizard in her cab. They’d driven away from the museum, dropped the car for paint and plates, and the rest of her team headed back to base central. Now she found herself outside this dive bar with people leaning against the peeling paint of the outside. Puddles of something that smelled on the pavement. Music floating out over the crackling sound system from the inside.

A place she would never see herself hanging out.

She frowned as she exited the cab, supposing it was as good a cover as any.

She opened the door and was hit abrasively by the loud music, pulsing in her eardrums. The kind of volume that would make it hard to talk to someone sitting next to you. Something electronic and pumping, smooth auto-tuned male vocals swaying along.

_ “You’re pulling me in. You’re pulling me under.” _

The door closed behind her and she scanned the bar until she found the head of indigo hair and sleek attire of one Ashen driver, sitting in a two-seater table up against the wall, a plate of french fries in front of her and two glasses of water. She looked relaxed, as always, with an arm leaned back against her seat. One stirring the straw in her cup. And an expression of indifference. Until she saw Edelgard. Then her cheeks ever so subtly lifted in a smile.

Edelgard couldn’t help it, she stuttered in step. Her eyes were no longer behind shades, those crisp blues locking right on her. They held such an allure to them, she found it almost irritating.

She took her seat across from her and set down the manilla envelope with her notes. There were two others sticking out under the inner coat pocket.

“Evening. You’re early.” Driver said calmly, stirring her straw.

“I’m always early.”

“Noted.” She responded with a hint of bemusement. “How did the day go?”

“Smooth. As expected. This was the easy part.” She shrugged.

“Did you check your pocket?” She asked, excitement hinging on her typically indifferent tone.

“ _ Perhaps… _ ” She stretched the word, wanting to leave it hinted but not confirmed. In all honesty it had been… a surprise. And sweet. But those things were typically methods of deception or masks for the true intentions. She wouldn’t be fooled.

“Perhaps?” She chuckled gently in return. “Well… I was going to ask if you enjoyed it but… you’re not really giving me anything to go off of.

“I can’t hand you everything, only this.” Edelgard slid the folder across the table to her and Byleth smiled, receiving it.

Edelgard let her eyes drift to her jacket lining where the other two folders stuck out. She wondered what the other teams found...

“Curious?” Ashen asked, catching her line of sight behind her dark shades.

“Shouldn’t I be?” Edelgard countered. She knew there was no point playing coy. Driver knew what she wanted.

Driver tilted her head, a question lingering.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything.” Edelgard countered, leaning an arm on the table. Trying her luck.

“You heard the rules. Do you disagree with them?” Driver matched her posture.

“Yes. Not that the driver shouldn’t know everything, but that the director’s should also.” She clarified.

“Something tells me you don’t like giving up control.” Ashen assessed, and she had the audacity to wink.

“Would that something be last night?” Edelgard shot back, enjoying the slight surprise on her face from her returning fire.

“You didn’t give up control, I had to take it.” She said, lowering her voice. Edelgard’s cheeks were suddenly warm.

“You flatter yourself.” She said, finally relenting and leaning back in her seat.

“Don’t worry, I won't let it go to my head.” She said, slightly more innocent in nature.

In the wake of her silence the Driver eyed her a moment while she lifted her glass of water and sipped from the straw. She let out a soft chuckle before setting it back down.

“The Lions were in charge of security details. One caused a scene to get kicked out. One counted how many officers reacted. Another was in charge of pulling a keycard. And the last, tracking the paths they came from to narrow down where the main security office might be. That's crucial to their morning mission.”

Edelgard tilted her head at the information, blinking away the uncertainty.

“I don’t think you knowing any of that will endanger the job, but if it makes you feel better… then now you know.” She smiled as if business was done and reached out for a fry from the plate before popping it in her mouth.

_ What was she playing at…? _

She was insufferable… unbearably shrewd… crass… and yet...

“You’re staring.” The driver noted, looking softly her way. “Do you not like this place?”

“What gives you that idea?” She asked, breaking her train of thought and crossing one leg over her lap.

“You _ look _ like you don’t like this place.” She said with a smile as she pulled another fry from the plate. Crinkle cut.

“I suppose it’s not my usual hangout, no.” Edelgard said looking around. Counting exits, people, drinks going out, staff. She couldn’t seem to tune out that sense even if she wanted to. Places like this made it worse.

“Suppose that’s fair.” Ashen dipped the fry in ketchup before bringing it up to her lips. “ _ Un _ usual can be good.”

“What do  _ you _ like about this place?” She asked in return. The driver sucked the grease and salt of the ends of her fingers before responding.

“The fries are good. The drinks aren’t too strong. The hardwood floors leave a nice echo when the chairs slide across them… and… it’s got karaoke.” She smiled as she concluded her case.

“Who would be excited about karaoke?” Edelgard chided gently as Byleth waved down the waitress.

“Hey, can I get an Old Fashion, neat, two fingers of Buffalo? And-” She turned to Edelgard. 

“Want anything?”

Edelgard was going to refuse, but paused... supposing they were off the clock. Perhaps it would soothe her nerves.  _ Why was she nervous? _ She nodded instead.

“And for her a Bramble please.” The waitress nodded and disappeared. Edelgard raised an eyebrow.

“Showing off are we?” She asked, goading.

“Well I figured you’ve never been here, you wouldn’t know the good stuff.”

“So that’s the good stuff?” Countered Edelgard. Ashen nodded.

“You strike me as a clear spirit vs a dark spirit drinker, on the occasion you do indulge, and you’ve got a sweet tooth.” Ashen smiled cleverly, the tip of a canine just barely poking out. “But you’re too refined to enjoy something laced with artificial colors and sweeteners, so a Bramble seemed a good go to. They make them with fresh blackberries here, squirt of lemon juice, shot of gin.” She kissed the tips of her finger like a chef. “Delicious.”

“You do this often? Try and guess a girls drink to sound all impressive.”

“Oooh, am I impressing you?” She said, leaning her elbows against the table and keeping that playful look. Edelgard felt a bit of warmth prickling at her skin and a smirk spreading.

Their drinks were served and she examined the vaguely purple liquid served in a martini glass with shredded ice floating along the surface and a sliver of lemon peel, twirled and hanging across the rim.

She hated to admit it, but it smelled heavenly. Ashen’s drink came in a stout glass, halfway filled with an amber brown liquid and a maraschino cherry floating on the surface.

Ashen nodded to the waitress and turned her eyes to Edelgard as if waiting to see her reaction with unconcealed excitement.

She lifted the glasses stem and held it up to show she was taking a sip. When the chilled liquid hit her lips she was immediately struck with the fruity flavor before the sharp cut of the gin. The citrus melted away the afterburn and the whole thing was very… enjoyable.

Her drinking date smiled at her as she sipped.

“Final verdict?”

“It’s very good.” Edelgard admitted. “Though I hate to say anything else to inflate your ego.” In response she leaned her cheek into her hand and smiled back. The blues of her eyes seemed less distant than usual. More… present. Reminding her of the other night.

“So you like old fashioned things?” She said, turning the conversation away from her. Ashen seemed entertained.

“What makes you say that?”

“You drive a car from decades ago, you use outdated music technology, and your drink of choice is called… an Old Fashion.” Edelgard listed, and the Driver openly chuckled.

“Guess you could say I’m an old soul.”

They sipped their drinks in a comfortable silence, letting the ambience of the bar surround them. Someone singing a pitchy cover of  _ Drops of Jupiter  _ and the clink of silverware and glasses. Ashen plucked up another fry and pushed the plate closer to Edelgard as an offer. She shook her head slightly, refusing them, and Ashen simply shrugged.

“So… Red... what do your friends call you?” She asked over her whiskey glass.

“You don’t just ask that.” Edelgard said, thinking it a joke. “That’s our only line of protection from the people we work against, and more importantly the people we work  _ with.”  _

“Is that how you see it?” Ashen asked, a smirk of open entertainment.

“Yes.”

“Always so serious…” She teased.

“Someone has to be. What’s  _ your _ name?” Edelgard deflected, thinking that would be the end of it.

“Byleth.” She said simply with a shrug. So simply, as if filling out an application, not sitting with a known criminal.

Edelgard blinked at her. She was inclined to remark it as a lie. A cover. But she didn’t say it like it was one. She spoke so factually and casually that it knocked her radar askew. She hadn’t been able to read her as well as she wanted to. Maybe that was what drew her in, even when she logically knew to pull back…

“You’re staring again.” Offered the supposed ‘Byleth’ as she fished another fry off the plate.

“The hell are you playing at?” Edelgard said with a spark of curiosity.

“Wasn’t playing.” Her dinner date merely shrugged as she munched on the fry.

“You’re not supposed to hand out your name to just anyone. Our line of work is dangerous.” For a moment she felt she was explaining to a child. But the driver leaned across the table a bit closer, a genuinely soft glint in her eyes.

“But you’re not just anyone.”

The overhead speaker kicked on as they announced the next singer, graciously giving her a reason to hide her lack of a comeback.

“Next up on the mic, we have Byleth.” The staticy system called out.

Edelgard saw the immediate sly smile creep up her cheeks.

“You didn’t.”

Those glittering eyes gave away her answer.

“Looks like I did.” Byleth smirked as she rose from her chair, leaning into her space a bit further with a grin. Her body spray smelled nice. Like ocean breeze, which was comical given Edelgard had never learned to swim and always hated the ocean. But she liked the way the breeze smelled, at least in theory.

Byleth sauntered up to the stage with her signature relaxed posture. She looked like a rockstar with the way she carried herself. All the confidence in the world. She grasped the stand and plucked the mic from its hold, casually wrapping the cord around her arm, and turning to face away from the audience.

The spotlight only served to illuminate how the blue button up shirt was hugging her waist and tightened alluringly around her biceps. Her arm was extended over the mic stand with it slightly tilted back, and she dropped her head just so, every eye in the room waiting in anticipation she’d crafted.

The song kicked in, a double clap and then an explosion of jazzy trumpets and playful piano keys.

Music filled the space. A few bar patrons that recognized the song cheered and clapped to the upbeat rhythm.

Byleth tapped a foot and swayed her neck back and forth. Her movements were subtle, but perfectly timed. She clapped on the next beat, then kept the mic at her lips, elbow fully extended and turned her eyes ever so slightly over her shoulder as the lyrics arrived.

_ “I wanna know.” _ Her voice was smooth, like the whisky she’d been sipping.  _ “Do you ever feed it? Do you even feel it now?” _

Melodic, but effortless.

_ “And you’re not alone.” _

She turned at the waist now, halfway facing the crowd, legs planted fully apart.

_ “So don’t be hesitatin’ for my lovin’.” _

The beat had dropped down to bass and drums, slowly building after the energetic start.

_ “I-I, Oh, I’m down on my knees.” _

She was indeed, dropping down, still half facing the crowd.

_ “Mercy.” _

She fanned the air around her, that sly smile staying. Pulling one to Edelgard’s lips.

_ “Whoa, whoa, whoa, baby- Preach.” _

On the note the jazzy swell from the start returned in full, and Byleth hopped up from her knees back to her feet, in a show of core strength and reflexes that caused Edelgard to gulp. She turned her momentum on her heel to face the audience.

_ “Mm, teach me, baby teeeachhhh us.” _

She rolled her shoulders in a sultry fashion, accentuating the flow of the song with the flow of her body. The collar on her shirt looked extra enticing as she did.

_ “A-preach it, baby Preeeaccchhhh ah.” _

She stretched the line, and Edelgard thought for the first time how pleasant her voice was.

_ “So lovin’, do the soul lovin’” _

The music dipped down, and with it a turn and a hop landed her off the stage and onto the wooden floor below with a soft thud. Her eyes looked like that of a cat, playful and the slightest bit challenging. She rolled her hips and shoulders casually to the flow, following the bass once more.

_ “You gotta say, nothing too specific. You know I’ll get it anyway.” _

She cupped both hands around the mic and let the cord drag behind her as she slid her steps in Edelgard’s direction, coming to pause in front of her with an invite hidden in her eyes.

_ “A hip’s gotta sway.” _

She swung her waist lower as her voice rose higher. Gods the dark denim looked as if it had been painted onto her.

_ “So shake it like your mama, and seven day prayer.”  _

She extended a palm in front of Edelgard.

_ ‘I don’t think so.’ _ Edelgard’s eyes read, flat and posing as unimpressed, even as the beat continued to drum in her ears.

_ ‘Chicken.’ _ Her eyes challenged back. Edelgard bit her cheek to fight the laugh that threatened to spill out.

_ ‘So be it.’ _ She took the extended offer, watching the smile that was glowing across those cobalt eyes as she rose with her. She remembered the tingle that followed wherever those fingers brushed.

The chorus kicked in for a second round as she was pulled gently toward the center of the dance floor.

_ “I, I,” _ She vocalized as the audience cheered and oohed them on.

_ “Oh, I’m down on my knees.” _

As she stepped back she bent to a knee while still holding a hand, and Edelgard playfully pulled her hand free to push her shoulder, and Byleth rolled her neck back to the beat, with a  _ “Mercy,” _ making Edelgard finally crack and laugh. Byleth swung herself back to her feet and slid a familiar hand around her waist. That ocean breeze was back.

_ “Whoa, whoa, whoa, baby, Preach!” _

She shifted her body around Edelgard’s, letting the cord from the mic drape around their legs, and their backs press against each other with every rhythmic shimmy. Edelgard relented, enjoying the warmth of the contact and leaning back into her, moving her own shoulders and hips to the beat now. She felt the raised smirk that came her way but let herself be foolish for once and enjoy the moment.

_ “Mm, teach me, baby Teaachhhhhh us, a-preach it, baby Preaachhhhhh.” _

Their energies mingled with their movements and Edelgard felt herself letting go of the boundaries she’d been keeping between them. Byleth gave her a cheeky booty bump, knocking her a step forward and a wink, as Edelgard turned with mock offense. Byleth slowly slid her footwork back, leaving her date in the spotlight with a bright grin.

_ “So lovin’, do the soul lovin’.” _

An instrumental lull kicked in with the brass notes on full display, and Edelgard, never one to back down, decided to put on a show herself. Her hands slid up into her hair as she carried her sway into her shoulders and back rolling, noting the way Byleth’s eyes changed. The hunger that seemed to grow, and the hook of her smile with it. She had her right where she wanted her. But neither of them seemed to mind.

Her hands continued up above her head, and she dipped her hips as the horns blared. It felt like no one was watching, because the only eyes she felt were cobalt blues… and they were drinking up every inch she gave. Byleth moved closer again, unable to fight the magnetism or uncaring to.

The song’s enthusiastic horns faded away to a simple bass and light percussion as the lyrics returned in the breakdown. Byleth lead the audience in a clap that they eagerly mirrored, and brought both hands back to the mic as she returned to Edelgard’s space.

_ “Shout it from the rooftops, scream it from the pulpit. Yell it ’til I hear you, sell it like you fought and,” _

Her voice was soothing, her body close enough to touch and she hooked a finger in Edelgard’s belt loops to pull her along with her. She allowed it, taking a hand to grab onto the clean pressed fabric of her shirt.

_ “Shout it from the rooftops, scream it from the pulpit. Yell it ’til I hear you, ain’t no doubt about it, yeah.” _

She had complete control of the moment, and all who were in it. Edelgard was tempted to let her win… but what fun would that be?

As the bass kicked in full Byleth slid her hand up Edelgard side until she caught her hand.

She spun her out in a partnered twirl, then pulled her back in so her backside pressed into her chest. She felt Byleth’s heartbeat against her back. Felt the slight sweat droplets bleeding through her shirt. She smelled of that ocean breeze. Her body was so  _ warm _ . She looked over her shoulder to see only the microphone between her and those sly canines.

_ “Whoa, whoa, whoa, baby Preach!” _

Their eyes mere inches apart. Half-lidded. Her breath dancing against her cheeks with each word. She gently moved them to a rhythm, one Edelgard slid into easily and dared not break.

_ “Mm, teach me baby Teaccchhhh us, a-preach it baby Preach.” _

She reached up a hand and rested it on the side of those teal locks, taking back some of her control, but also unwilling to let her move back even an inch as their bodies fell into an airless grind.

_ “So lovin’, do the soul lovin’. Whoa, whoa, whoa, baby, Preach!” _

There was no space left between them. Whistles from the crowd rung out over the music, but those blue eyes never left hers. They stayed in the dance, stayed with each other, it felt like swimming… which she was sure she’d never done… but gods those blues tempted her to.

The music carried the movements of their hips and backs, Byleth pressed up even tighter against her, and she wanted her closer still. The swell of the trumpets matched the rise in her heart. The piano keys played out like all the possibilities in her mind, and as the lyrics faded away and the last note played neither dared release the other. Edelgard only tightened her grip in her locks as the crowd cheered, and Byleth dropped the mic but smiled with such serenity. No longer the challenge, just something innocent. And Edelgard decided in that moment… she wanted her. 

She gently pulled herself closer, those blue eyes widening but not resisting, until their lips were brushing. She could feel her soft pants bounce between them. The hint of her Old Fashion cocktail that she was starting to think she could develop a taste for.

“Outside. 2 minutes.”

They were out in the cool air with their coats over their arms, pep in their step, and having left a generous tip on the table a minute and a half later.

They parked not too far from the bar, the lights of the city humming in the background, matching the feeling in her chest. She wanted to blame it on the drinks, or the music, or the air, but it was her, wasn’t it? Someone so… untouchable that she wanted to run her fingers along.

She heard the engine idle, and the click of the keys turning to silence the motor. The AC still blew softly, and the radio still played something with lingering synths and a seductive bass. It was slow and sounded like a caress.

She turned back to see her blue eyes assessing her with that same openness, and she let herself be foolish. She leaned in to claim her without another word.

Their lips met over the center console and their hands soon followed, Byleth’s finding a hold on her hips and pulling a sigh from her with a gentle squeeze. The touch was teasing. It was taunting. It promised something more.

Through a shuffling of limbs and lips she found herself laying across the backseat, propping herself up on one arm, and the other clutching onto the material of Byleth’s silk shirt above her.

She pulled back long enough to look up at her, cheeks already flushed, eyes… stunning.

“Was this all part of your plan?” She teased as she leaned forward and nipped her bottom lip.

“I’m the driver, I don’t have a plan.” Byleth smiled back.

“You don’t have a plan?” She asked unconvinced. “Should I be worried?”

“I just know where to go.”

Edelgard ran her thumb up her throat and along her jaw, and she watched her tilt her head back, enjoying it, before turning to catch her finger in a kiss.

_ Well that did it. _ Edelgard flipped their weight, and to her credit Byleth seemed to let her, not minding finding her back down and hair splayed out beneath her.

“Did you see  _ this _ in my future when you read my palm?” Edelgard asked, straddling her in the backseat. A smirk was her response, as a hand reached up and cupped her cheek.

“I didn’t need to see your palms to know this is where we were heading… I saw it all in your eyes.” Byleth spoke with that sharp hint at the end of her words, the way she did when she was excited.

Edelgard placed her hand over the one on her cheek and pulled it back to examine it.

“What kind of hands do you have?” She asked back.

“Earth hands.” Byleth responded as she watched Edelgard run the tip of her nose across the center of her palm. “They’re durable, dexterous, and…  _ quick.” _ She added but Edelgard placed her other hand with a finger on Byleth’s chest to hold her at bay.

“That’s too bad… because I’m going to have to conduct a palm reading of my own…” She turned and watched as the driver leaned back against the cushioned seat, a curious but permissive glint in her eyes, eager to see what she would do. Edelgard turned back to the hand she held and placed a soft kiss, like a whisper in the center of the palm.

“Your heartline…”

“Head line.” Byleth corrected.

“Not today it isn’t.” She countered and Byleth merely nodded with open entertainment. “Your heartline… is erratic. Much like your driving I’d imagine.” She traced it with the end of her fingernail, scraping ever so gently. Enough of a sensation to make Byleth squirm beneath her.

“Your thoughtline…” She traced up the middle of her palm following no real path to the tip of her finger. “Is distracted… I wonder why?” She slipped the finger between her lips and sucked gently, drawing another sigh from the woman beneath her. Those midnight eyes of hers were sparkling like the cosmos above… and the feeling of them sparkling for  _ her _ was intoxicating.

“And your body… well…” She leaned closer and ran her tongue achingly slow across the palm of her hand, and felt all of Byleth’s muscles constrict in a flash of anticipation. “Your body is mine for the time being…” She pressed the hand back against her cheek.

If her eyes were sparkling before they were absolutely illuminated now. She guided the hand that was on her cheek down her neck, sliding it down across the front of her shirt, and stopping it at the waistband of her pants.

“Did I get it right?” She asked sultrily as she felt the driver shift to sit up under her, bringing those glowing eyes almost blindingly close.

“Almost…” She said as she took control and slid her hand in achingly slow down the front of her jeans, earning a gasp for the brief contact she felt against her wanting skin.

Byleth smiled as she brushed her lips against Edelgards’ holding her at the top of a rollercoaster, about to drop.

“My only note...I’m not distracted…” She shifted her hand against her and felt her shudder, her head leaning forward against her. “I’ve only got one thing on my mind… let me show you.”

And she did.

Sothis was walking the hall carrying the boombox Byleth had given her with one of the mixes she’d made.  **Reason For Treason Volume 14** . The song was slower, semi-cynical but with lyrics she were sure carried a double meaning. She liked the deeper angstier rock beats typically, but lately Ashen had been trying to get her some softer things. She didn’t mind most of them. This one was pretty good.

_ “House burned down burned down to the fucking ground, I don’t even care now if I make it out.” _

She heard something clattering in the entry area and paused midstep. She tilted her head unsure and saw a flash of something. The Lions were finishing their briefing with Faith. The Deer had gone out celebrating. She was pretty sure the Eagles had taken over setting up the computer section upstairs for Perriwinkle. And Byleth hadn’t come back yet. _Who’d be down here?_

She poked her head in the unlit area, following the shadow. The lights had been left off, the door was shut, no other exits and the only thing she noticed were the four go-bags, packed and ready for the Blue Lions early morning run… except…

One was unzipped?

_ Weird… _ she thought. She went over to it and crouched down, setting the boombox at her side. She picked up the bag and studied under and around it, seeing nothing, she zipped it back up with a shrug and plopped it back down as she carried on.

She coulda sworn someone was in there.  _ Must’ve been her imagination. _

The song carried on with the kick drum, soft harps and symphonic lyrics.

_ “I’m too deep too deep to get outta here. Too deep too deep to get outta hereeeee.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the point in the writing where I realized we had very little plot achieved and a lot of thirst and fun, but ya know what? That’s where we’re at so there 😂

**Author's Note:**

> Check back for weekly updates starting next weekend!
> 
> Follow myself and Yuzu on twitter if you so choose :)
> 
> https://twitter.com/AgentRoomba  
> https://twitter.com/yuzuwarning


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